Truck for autocarettes.



No. 67l,856. Patented Apr. 9, I901.

. -J. w. DARLEY, m,

TRUCK FDR AUTOCARETTES.

(Applicafion filed Sept. 4, 1900.

(No Modal.) a SheetsSheet l.

No. 67l,85.6- Patented Apr. 9, l90l. .1. w. DARLEY, 1n.

muck FOR AUTOCARETTES.

(Application flleii Sept, 4, 1900.) (N9 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. DARLEY, JR., BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TRUCK FOR -AUTOGARETTES.

SPEGEEFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,856, dated April9, 1901.

Application filed September 4;, 1900. Serial No. 28,939. (No model.)

T0 LLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. DARLEY, Jr.,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucksfor Autocarettes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in trucks for automobiles, andparticularly for that class of vehicles known as autocarettes; and itconsists of a truck so constructed as to carry a storage battery andmotor, together with suitable connections and steering apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide means whereby the storagebattery may be hung in the truck so as to receive the smallest amount ofvibration and so that all shocks and jars will be reduced to theminimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the storagebattery may be readily disengaged from the truck for the removal thereofand another battery may be as readily fixed in position.

These and other objects, which will appear hereinafter, I attain byconstructing and arranging the truck in the manner to be hereinafterdescribed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same partsare designated by the same letters of reference throughout the severalviews, and in which- Figure 1 represents a plan of my improved truckwith the car-body and parts attached directly thereto removed. Fig. 2represents a side elevation of the same with the wheels on the near sideremoved. Fig. 3 represents a front elevation of the same, a part of theframe on the right-hand side being broken away. Fig. 4 represents a rearelevation with the right-hand side broken away and partly in section.

The framing of the truck consists of two I- beams A A,placedlongitudinally along its frames B are each formed as shown in Fig. 2,having a vertical opening B therethrough, the parallel sides b of whichform guideways for the ends of the front axle O, which passes throughthe said openings B and has a limited vertical play therein. Atransverse I-beam D rests upon and is secured to the axle C in anysuitable manner, as by bolts d and clips 0, thus forming part of theaxle. A short distance above the I-beam D is a similar beam E, arrangedparallel with the beam D and secured at its ends to the frames B. On topof the I-beam D, at'the middle thereof, is fixed a segmental piece D,and t0 the I-beam E is fixed a concave piece E, which is fitted toreceive and rest uponthe piece D, thus forming a flexible bearing uponthe center of the axle, which will allow one end of the axle to rise inpassing over an obstruction, (the ends of the axle being free to riseand fall in the openings B thus decreasing the shock. A brace-rod 1)extends across the frame above the I-beam E, the said rod passingthrough a sleeve 1), which is placed between the frames B B and servesto keep the said frames at the proper distance apart. The rod passingthrough the frames B B is held firmly by nuts screwed upon its endsagainst the outside of the said frames.

The rear axle F extends across the rear portion of the truck-frame abovethe I-beams A A,to which it is secured by inverted- U -shaped hangers G,one'being placed on each side of each I-beam A A and secured thereto bybolts or other suitable means. The hangers G are provided with flangesg, which rest upon the axle F and are bolted down to straps g, placedbeneath the axle, thus binding the axle and hangers firmly together.

Upon the I-beams A A are mounted a suitable number of pillow-blocks H,which support the ends of cross-bars I, which in turn support thecurtain I, which serves as a cover for the battery. BoltsJ pass throughthe ends of the bars I, through the pillow-blocks H H, the flanges ofthe I-beams A A, and through horizontal pieces J J beneath the beams AA. Bolts K K pass loosely through holes in the cross-bars I and thepieces J J and are firmly secured at their lower ends to T-irons L L,which latter extend parallel with the beams A A and support thebattery-tray M. Upon the tops of the bolts K are secured nuts k, whichrest upon the springs is, which form cushions to support the battery.

The battery M rests upon the tray M and may be of any suitable form andis provided at its sides with contact-plates m, which are suitablyconnected with the proper poles of the battery; but as the particularform of battery and the manner of connecting the contact-plates mtherewith forms no part of the present invention it is not shown indetail.

Secured to the bolts K by any suitable means, such as brackets K, is aboard K which extends along the sides of the battery and has connectedtherewith contact-springs k arranged to make contact with thecontact-plates m on the battery. The board K and the battery-tray M areall carried by the bolts K, so that the battery-tray, battery, andcontacts all ride upon the springs and all move together. cured to aframework consisting of longitudinal T-irons M and transverse pieces Mthe depending flanges m of the T-irons M extending over the flanges Z onthe T-irons L and resting upon the latter, thus forming a secureresting-place for the battery-tray.

A hook Z is secured to each of the T-irons L, and when it is desired toremove the battery from the truck the latter is run over a suitablelifting device or elevator,(not shown,) which lifts the battery-trayabove the flanges Z on the T-irons L. The latter are then drawnoutwardly from the center and from under the T-irons M the pieces Jbeing slotted to allow the bolts K to move outwardly. The hooks l arethen hooked over the lower flanges of the beamsA A, which will hold theT-i-rons L apart, thus allowing the battery-tray to be lowered and movedout of the truck and another battery and tray to be raised in the placeof the one removed. The hooks Zare then unhooked and the T-irons L Lallowed to move back beneath the T-irons M on the batterytray M, and thelatter is then lowered in place upon the T-irons L L, as will be readilyunderstood. In removing and replacing the battery the contact-plates mwill slide out of and into contact with the contact-springs R The motorsN N are hung upon the rear axle by the brackets N and are supported attheir rear sides by arms at 'n, which rest upon springs 'n 02 upon therear channel-iron A. The armature-shafts are supported at their outerends in bearings N secured to the mo tors, and extend nearly to the reardrivingwheels 0, where they are provided at their ends with pinions 11?,which mesh with gearwheels 0 on the driving-wheels 0. Thus motion istransmitted from the armature-shaft to the driving-wheels O to propelthe vehicle.

The front axle 0 extends through the openings B in the frames B and isprovided at its ends with clevises O, in which are held and pivoted theshort axles 0 which carry the front or steering wheels 0 The short axlesO are provided with arms 0 which extend The battery-tray M is se--forwardly and downwardly and have pivoted to their forward ends therods]? P, which form part of the steering-gear. Pivoted below the centerof the front axle O is a threearm bell-crank lever Q, having twoforwardlyprojecting arms-q q and a laterally-projecting arm The rods P Pare pivoted to the arms q g, which arms are made of such length and areset at such an angle as will cause the steering-wheels O to turn in theproper relation to cause the vehicle to turn a curve smoothly andwithout slipping of the wheels. The arm g of the bell-crank lever Q isconnected by a rod g with any suitable steering mechanism or handle,(not shown,) by means of which the vehicle may be steered.

Longitudinal strips R are supported upon springs S, which rest insockets S upon the I-beams A. A, and to these strips R the body of thevehicle is secured.

T T designate bolts secured to the strips R and extending downwardly inbearings upon the truck-frame. The forward bolts T have guide-bearings bin upward extensions B of the frames B, and the rearward bolts T havevguide-bearings g in upward extensions G on the inner U-shaped pieces G.These bolts T T, while allowing the body of the vehicle to move freelyup and down as the springs S expand or are compressed, will preventsidewise or longitudinal movement of the body of the vehicle upon thetruck.

The operation of the device will be clearly understood from theforegoing without further description.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a truck of the character described,

the combination with a frame having guideways therein; of an axleextending through the said guideways, a segmental piece on the saidaxle, and a concave piece on said frame to receive said segmental piece,substantially as described.

' 2. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a framehaving guideways therein; of an axle extending through the saidguideways, clevises on the ends of said axle, short axles pivoted in thesaid clevises, wheels mounted on said short axles, a segmental piece onthe axle, a concave piece on the frame to receive and rest on saidsegmental piece, and means for turning said short axles on their pivots,substantially as described.

3. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a framehaving side beams; of supports upon said side beams, bars resting uponsaid supports, springs upon said bars, bolts supported by said springs,and a battery-tray supported by said bolts substantially as described.

4. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame;of bolts supported on springs on said frame, bars secured to said bolts,a battery-tray resting upon said bars, and means for holding said barsapart While the battery-tray is being removed, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame;of bolts supported on springs on said frame, bars secured to said bolts,a battery-tray resting upon said bars, a battery on said tray,contact-plates on said battery, and contact devices carried by the saidbolts adapted to make contact with said contact-plates, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame;of bolts sup ported on springs on said frame, bars secured to saidbolts, a battery-tray resting upon said bars, a battery on said tray,contact-plates on said battery, contact devices carried by the saidbolts adapted to make contact with said contact-plates, and means forholding said bars apart While the battery-tray is being removed,substantially as described.

7. In a truck of the character described, the combination with a frame,of cross-bars supported upon said frame, bolts supported upon springsupon said cross-bars, longitudinal bars secured to said bolts, a batterysupported by said longitudinal bars, and a cover for saidbatterysupported by said crossbars, substantially as described.

8. In a truck of the character described the combination with a frame,an axle mounted in said frame, a segmental piece on said axle, a concavepiece on said frame to receive said segmental piece, guideways in theframe for the ends of said axle, short axles pivoted to the ends of saidaxle, and arms projecting forwardly from said short axles; of a threearmlever pivoted to said axle, a connectingrod connecting the arm on theshort axle on the right-hand side with the left-hand arm of the lever, aconnecting-rod connecting the arm on the short axle on the left-handside with the right-hand arm of the lever, and means for turning thesaid lever to turn the short axles, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. W. DARLEY, JR. Witnesses:

J. STEWART SMITH, FRED. W. FOLLMER.

